Collar protector and support



5, 1952 M. s. STRASSER 2,605,941

COLLAR PROTECTOR AND SUPPORT Filed Aug. 10, 1949 /27 van to):

M's wzfzi'ar'nggs.

Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to collar protectors and supports therefor. More particularly, it pertains to devices of this general character adapted to be applied to laundered shirts to prevent the collars thereon from being crushed when the shirts are packaged for delivery.

Various types of devices have been suggested to prevent collars on shirts from being crushed or wrinkled but most of them have been designed to function only as collar reinforcing means, adapted either to be inserted between the folds of the collar in front of the neckband, or on the inside thereof in such a manner as to exert an arching action tending to hold the collar upright under a superimposed load. Inasmuch as such devices are discarded by the customer after use, they are usually made of inexpensive quality paper board. Such material has very little resistance to bending or flexure, and since such supports lie more or less inclined to the plane of the back of the shirt, they do not offer material resistance to flattening when downward pressure is applied to the front of the collar. Such paperboard can be utilized to offer resistance to crushing'when a load is applied edgewise to a comparatively narrow strip thereof if it can'be positioned inside the collar so that it will lie substantially normal-to the back of the shirt; In this manner, it will oiTer a certain amount'of support" to the collar and function as a protector because'of its resistance to edgewise crushing and will support other shirts or goods which may be'superimposed upon the collar portion of the shirt and prevent the collar from being crushed.

'A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective collar protector and support which is readily insertable within the collar of a laundered shirt and which will prevent the collar from being crushed or wrinkled when other shirts or other goods are piled'there- More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a device having high resistance to deformation under edgewise applied loads and which is of such design that, when inserted with- 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-83) and which is provided with anchoring means constituting angularly-shaped sections which hingedly can be swung into position to extend transversely of the support when the latter is curved and placed in position, whereby the anchoring members will extend under opposite sides of the neckband and collar and between them and the back portion of the shirt to hold the support in protective position.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear. hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in Which Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a preferred form of collar protector and support embodied by the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a shirt, with a section broken away, illustrating the manner in which the collar protector and support is secured in position; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, somewhat enlarged, taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 of a fragmentary portion thereof; and

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 are all elevational views of fragmentary portions of the end of modified forms of the collar protector and support embodied by the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and especially to Fig. 1, there is shown a preferred embodiment of collar protector and support indicated generally at ID. This comprises an elongated, substantially rectangular strip of flexible paper board material which is of a width or height at least approximately equal to; and preferably slightly greater than, the difference in elevation between the back I l of the shirt and the top front edge l2 of the collar as measured when the shirt is lying on a horizontal surface, The thickness of the paper board may be, for example, about 0.035 inch. The neckband indicatedat l3. The body portion of the protector-and-support is indicated at I4. Preferably, the paper board material is cut so that the fibres will extend transversely of the longitudinalaxis to give greater compressive strength. 3 v f I I 'I'hedevice has opposite end portions l5 and I6 partially severed therefrom byf'cuts "and i8 extending from on of the longitudinal edges I9 towards the adjacent end of the strip to provide anchoring members 20 and 2!. These members preferably are angularly shaped sections terminating in sharp points which extend toward each other when the device is in flattened condition before use. Each support is weakened at its ends, for example, by score lines 22 and 23 which begin at the terminal points 24 and 25 of the cuts I! and [8, respectively, and extend transversely of the support to the opposite longitudinal edge 26 to provide a hinge line.

In placing the device in operating position, it

may first be curved and inserted within the shirt against the inside of the neckband as shown in Fig. 2 whereupon the end portions (5 and I6 are swung about the hinge lines provided by the scored portions 22 and 23 in such a manner that they extend in opposit directions from each other transversely of the support and neckband, whereby the anchoring members can be placed under opposite sides of the neckband and between the neckband and the back portion of the shirt to hold the device in collar-supporting and protective position.

While the natural resilience of the protector and support tends to force it outwardly and hold it in frictional engagement with the inside of the collar or neckband, the anchoring members 28 and 2| are necessary to hold the same in position. The fact that the bottoms of the anchoring members extend transversely of the support as well as the neckband, so that they reach within the shirt on opposite sides of the protector and support, lends added rigidityto the ends of the device, whereby -more efficiently to accommodate the superimposed loads which may be placed thereon and aid materially in strengthening the same as well as anchoring the device in position.

In Fig. 1, as well as in'Figs. 5 and 6, it will be observed that the scor lines diverge upwardly from the pointed portions or sections. When the end members are swung outwardly and away from the body portion l4, thesharply pointed sections of the members 26 and 2| will be pointed downwardly. Where the scored portions are normal to the longitudinal edg 28 of the body portion [4, the members and 2| will not point downward ly but will extend oppositely outwardly so that the base of the anchoring member will be in the same plane as the longitudinal edge i9 when the device is secured in position.

In Fig. 6, the anchoring member 29 is provided by a cut-out portion 21 in which a section of the stock alon the lower longitudinal edge l9 has been removed and the width of'the body portion I4 is somewhat less than in the preferred form, thereby accommodating collars of lesser height especially in the front portion of the shirt.

Fig. 7 shows a device in which the width of the body portion [4 is approximately that shown in Fig. 6, but wherein the anchoring member is provided by means of a different die cutting operation to provide an anchoring member of a further modified configuration.

With a device embodied by any of the foregoing modifications, the same can readily be flexed and inserted in the collar by the operator and the points or anchoring'members easily can be swung outwardly to hold the same in collar-protecting and supporting position as shown in Fig. 2..

Since certain changes may be made in the above device and diiierent embodiments .of the invention could be madewithout departing from its scope, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A collar protector and support for a laundered shirt comprising an elongated, substantially rectangular strip of material adapted to be flexed to a curvature which is approximately that of the front and sides of the collar of said shirt and adapted to be placed against the neckband thereof said support having each end portion partially severed therefrom by a cut extending inward- 1y from one longitudinal edge thereof towards the adjacent end of said support and terminating at a point adjacent said end to provide anchoring members therefor; said support being weakened beginning at the inner end of each out along a line extending transversely of said support to the opposite longitudinal edge to provide a hinge; said members constituting angularly shaped sections which point inwardly toward each other from the ends of said support and which are adapted to be swung outwardly from the plane of said support along said hinge lines to extend in opposite directions from each other transversely of said support and said neckband when said support is curved and placed in position; whereby said members can be secured under 0pposit sides of said neckband to hold said support in protective position.

2. A collar protector and support for a laundered shirt comprising an elongated, substantially rectangular strip of material adapted to be flexed to a curvature which is approximately that of the front and sides of the collar of said shirt and adapted to be placedagainst the neckband thereof; said support having each end portion partially severed therefrom by cuts extending from the bottom edge thereof towards the adjacent end of said support and terminating at a point adjacent said'end to provide anchoring members for said support; 'said support being weakened along two upwardly diverging lines each beginning at one of said points and extending to the top edge of said support to provide hinges; said members constituting triangular sections which extend inwardly toward each other from the end of said support and are adapted to swing outwardly from the plane of said support along said hinge lines to extend in opposite directions from each other transversely of said support and said neckband when said support is curved and placed in position; whereby said members can be secured under opposite sides of said neckband to hold said support in protective position.

3. A collarprotector and support for a laundered shirt comprising an elongated, substantially rectangular strip of material adapted to be flexed to a curvature which is approximately that of the front and sides of the collar of said shirt and adapted to be placed against the neckband thereof; said support having each end portion partially severed therefrom by a cut extending inwardly from one longitudinal edge thereof towards the adjacent end of. said support and terminating, at apoint adjacent said end to provideanchorin memberstherefor; said support being weakened adjacent each end thereof along said neckband to hold said support in protective I position.

MYRON S. S'I'RASSER.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,063,547 Gibbons Dec. 8, 1936 2,204,004 Steele June 11, 1940 2,334,068 Chadwick NOV. 9, 1943 2,408,569 Mead Oct. 1, 1946 2,494,675

Steinman Jan. 17, 1950 

